By John F. Grimes, OSU Extension Beef Coordinator
The Ohio Cattlemen's Association (OCA) is announcing an event of potential interest for both the buyers and sellers of beef breeding cattle. On Friday evening, November 28, the OCA will be hosting their second annual Replacement Female Sale. The sale will be held at the Muskingum Livestock facility in Zanesville and will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Why is the group sponsoring such a sale? The primary purposes of the Replacement Female Sale are to: 1. Provide Ohio cow-calf producers with a viable source of quality replacement breeding stock; 2. Encourage beef cattle operations to consider the purchase of replacement breeding stock as a viable alternative to keeping small numbers of replacement females and hopefully reduce management and production difficulties; 3. Offer a marketing option to producers as a membership benefit to OCA members; and 4. Demonstrate that the principles of beef herd female replacement which have been taught in recent years via Ohio State University Extension and the OSU Beef Team are cost effective and viable alternatives for Ohio's cattlemen.
The 2014 Ohio Cattlemen's Association Replacement Female Sale will provide an opportunity for both buyers and sellers to meet the need for quality replacements in the state. Consignments may include cow-calf pairs, bred cows and bred heifers. Females must be under the age of five as of January 1, 2015 and may be of registered or commercial background. Bred females must be bred to a bull with known EPD's and calves at side of cows must be sired by a bull with known EPD's. Pregnancy status must be verified by an accredited veterinarian through traditional palpation, ultrasound or by blood testing through a professional laboratory. Analysis must be performed within 60 days of sale. Consignments will also be fulfilling specific health requirements.
Last year was the initial offering for the OCA Replacement Female Sale. Buyers had the opportunity to appraise 85 bred heifers and two 2-year-old heifers with baby calves at side. The 85 bred heifers averaged $1,801 while the two pairs averaged $2,250. The 87 total lots grossed $157,625 for an overall average of $1,812. The current demand for bred replacement females is excellent and expectations are for this trend to continue for the foreseeable future.
Source:osu.edu